Collapsed Rib Cage

One of the things we see a lot of singers do incorrectly is drop the rib cage.  We call this collapsing and what that usually results in is a jutting out or sticking out of the jaw.  Sometimes we say to students, “You’re leading with your jaw” It’s the wrong position to have your instrument in.  What you want to do is pick up your rib cage.  It’s difficult to do this because under our rib cage is our abdomen and we don’t have a spine like we do in our back to hold us up.  We can drop or collapse into the abdominal area which is really incorrect for great singing.  Instead, imagine a string that is tied to your sternum and up to the ceiling pulling your rib cage up which automatically puts your head in a better position and gives you better posture through the vocal tract area.  Make sure, by looking in a mirror you never collapse your rib cage while singing!